Carl Albert - Watergate Crisis

Watergate Crisis

In 1973, during Albert's second term as Speaker and Nixon's second term as president, Vice President Spiro Agnew was investigated for tax evasion and money laundering for bribes he took while he was Governor of Maryland. Agnew resigned as Vice President and eventually pleaded nolo contendere to the charges, as part of a package plea agreement. This event put Albert next in line to assume the presidential powers and duties, should that office become vacant.

Under the provisions of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Nixon nominated Republican House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford to succeed Agnew as Vice President in October 1973. As the Watergate crisis began to unfold, many believed that Nixon would be forced to resign from office, possibly before both Houses of Congress could confirm a Vice President. Had Nixon resigned without a sitting Vice President to succeed him, Albert would have become Acting President under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which would have forced Albert to resign from the office of Speaker as well as the House.

Agnew's resignation was the first occasion since the ratification of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in which it was possible for a member of one party to assume the presidency after a member of the opposing party vacated the office. As Speaker of the House, Albert presided over the only body with the authority to impeach Nixon. He also had the authority to prevent any Vice Presidential confirmation vote from taking place in the House, as the Speaker has complete control over what House votes take place. In other words, Albert could have maneuvered to make himself Acting President. However, Albert concluded that, as a Democrat, he had no right to a Presidency that the American people had entrusted by election to a Republican, although the Constitution does not mention political parties. He later stated that if he had become Acting President by succession that it would be in the national interest to resign immediately after the House and Senate had confirmed a Republican Vice President. The Vice Presidency was vacant for about seven weeks; Ford was confirmed and sworn in as Vice President in December, 1973.

The country again was confronted with the issue of presidential succession eight months later. Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, and the office of Vice President was once more left vacant when Ford was sworn in as President that day. After former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller was nominated by Ford, then confirmed and sworn into office as Vice President in December, the issue of Albert's presidential succession was finally buried.

A different issue arose during Albert's last term in office when he was confronted with the Tongsun Park scandal. He was accused of accepting gifts and bribes from a lobbyist who was also a member of South Korean intelligence. Albert denied having accepted bribes and admitted to have received only token gifts, which he disclosed. He decided to retire at the end of the 94th Congress in January 1977, and after leaving the House he turned the gifts over to the General Services Administration as required by law. Albert was never charged with a crime.